


Reflecting the Past

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Ash's thoughts during the battles, Malano Conference, Panic, Self-Doubt, character introspection, doubles as battle analysis, questioning season 1's early installment weirdness, the indigo league rules were unfair, three-shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 12:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20760227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: As Ash battled Hau, Guzma, and finally Gladion...Ash couldn't help but see parallels to his previous battles.And during each... he reflects.(Edit: Chapter number has increased)





	Reflecting the Past

**Author's Note:**

> I began writing this the night I finished watching the Manalo Conference episodes and let me tell you that I'm so happy for Ash, so so happy for him. Him becoming the first champion of Alola is important since it gives us closure to that one sore point we had with the series for a long time, that Ash had never in any official capacity won a league.
> 
> But.
> 
> There are some points in the anime that we could use reflecting. Ash in this season hasn't been an in-focus character, where we could hear his thought process and feelings. All we can do is infer, from his body language and his expression. And these three fights are so important because of how they paralleled key fights in Ash's previous tourneys.
> 
> So.
> 
> Let us begins.
> 
> (Increased the chapter numbers because I'm including the Ultra Beast attack as well as the exhibition match)

If Ash was honest to himself, despite how relaxed the standards of the Manalo Conference was in comparison to the leagues he’s taken part in previously, Ash had expected the worst to happen at some point. While the fight against Faba had been surprisingly easy thanks to Meltan's power, it didn't do much to reassure him that things would go well.

Against Hau, he really felt like he shouldn’t have won.

First, Ash had nearly been late.

The last time he'd been late to a conference battle it had been the Indigo Plateau Conference and thanks to outside interference. This time it had almost been his own fault. That had already set his nerves on fire, despite the smile he had on his face.

Ash had hoped Rowlet would do some major damage to Decidueye with their Z-move before going on the attack. Unfortunately, Hau had anticipated the move, and Ash knew it the moment he saw Decidueye take to the skies, before responding with its own attack and Z-move, much to Ash's fear.

The fact that Rowlet had escaped from the Spirit Shackles thanks to its hood (thankfully counting as a hold item) had been complete luck. 

The back and forth between Decidueye and Rowlet after that initial scare had honestly raised his hopes. There was still a chance they could win the fight. Even if Ash was going to end up having Rowlet rely on Brave Bird, it was still worth a shot.

Then Rowlet was declared knocked out when it and Decidueye clashed with their Brave Bird and Sky Attack. Ash felt his heart drop, seeing Rowlet facedown on the ground.

Was this it?

Was this really how he was going to lose?

Hala noticing Rowlet was just asleep was sheer luck. Ash might have brushed it off with his usual annoyance to Rowlet falling asleep during battle, but in his mind all he could see was memories of the Indigo Plateau Conference, of the referee declaring his Pokemon knocked out or unable to battle for _falling asleep in the middle of battle. _Granted, Charizard’s disobedience had been his fault, and Squirtle's early elimination thanks to Sleep Powder had been a fair move, but after seeing several other league conferences not considering the sleep status as knocked out, it had really opened his eyes to how unfair the ruling had been back then.

The luckiest of breaks that battle, after several more trade offs of Razor Leaf, Leaf Blade, and Seed Bomb, and a failed Feather Dance later, was Rowlet finally pulling off Feather Dance, the tiny owl leaving behind a feathered substitute in its place as it dodged. It wasn’t the first time Ash had had one of his Pokemon pull off a new move midbattle and turn the tides, but it still felt like a massive relief when he ordered Rowlet to finish off Decidueye with a Brave Bird.

A relief that was short lived and soon replaced by that niggling doubt, that this win was a fluke, that he would once again be stopped short in his next fight, and he would return home defeated. It didn't help that Ash felt bad for Hau. He would have won if Hala hadn't noticed Rowlet was just asleep, and Ash wouldn't have minded the loss. He was used to disappointment at this point. Once again, if it had been the Indigo Plateau Conference, back when he was ten, Ash knew he would have been sent right home regardless.

Shaking off the thoughts of that first major loss of his past, Ash patted Pikachu's head as he headed towards the stands, focusing his thoughts towards the next fight, and readying himself to cheer on his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there was a fight that felt so much like a big close call, it would be Ash VS Hau. This entire fight banked on Rowlet freeing itself from Spirit Shackles and Hala declaring Rowlet just asleep. I love and hate this fight because of how much it felt like Ash would loose so damn early, in such a relaxed battle too. The air fight was amazing especially with Ash trying to maneuver Rowlet into position to use Brave Bird. But again, this fight was just one big close call and I nearly went into a panic when Rowlet was revealed to be asleep. I remember how devastating Ash's loss because of Charizard deciding to go to sleep was to Ash himself. The rulings back in the Indigo Plateau Conference was actually pretty annoying: A loss is counted back then if it was recalled into its pokeball, falling asleep, or refusing to battle. After that all these rules got scrapped for future Conferences. We never see them make a comeback.
> 
> Next chapter is Guzma's battle and HO BOY I see parallels there.


End file.
